Drought and Watering

Use the following guidelines when watering your lawn to ensure you have the best looking grass while using the least amount of water!

Only water if your lawn needs it! There is no need to water for the majority of the year in most climates. Lawns require the most water during the hot summer months.

Water in the early morning hours. Watering around sunrise as soon as you wake up in the morning will reduce water lost to evaporation, and also reduce the likelihood of a fungus problem.

Water deeply, but infrequently. It is better to water heavily once every few days than to water lightly every day. Watering deeply will actually encourage the roots to grow deeper into the soil to access the moisture found there. This will reduce the need for irrigation in the long run and also lead to a more resilient lawn.

Invest in a simple hose timer. You can set the amount of time for the hose to stay on so you don't waste water.

Not sure how much water you are applying? Set an empty soup can out on your lawn to collect water as you irrigate. You can easily measure and know exactly how much water you are applying!

Overseed with improved seed blends that are more resistant to drought, or plant warm season grasses which are intrinsically better suited to drought conditions.

Did a drought kill my lawn?

Most likely not. During extended drought, most grass will enter a drought dormancy, and turn straw yellow. It looks like it is dead but will likely green back up once the rain / water returns. There may be a few areas that do not green up as much as the other areas, but these areas can be easily overseeded in the fall.